丁公藤 ding gong teng

Erycibe versatilihirta C. Y. Ma.

Lianas woody, 4-20 m, glabrous except for inflorescences. Stems to 5 cm in diam.; branchlets distinctly striate-angular. Petiole 0.8-1.2 cm; leaf blade elliptic or obovate, 6.9-9 X 2.5-4 cm, leathery, base cuneate, apex obtuse, acute, or short acuminate; lateral veins 4-6 pairs, slightly raised abaxially. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, 4-15 cm. Pedicel 4-6 mm. Sepals circular, ca. 3 mm in diam., ± dull yellow pubescent abaxially with 2-armed hairs, glabrescent. Corolla white, 8-10 mm; lobules broadly elliptic, undulate. Stamens unequal, apex acuminate; filaments ca. as long as anthers. Ovary ellipsoid (drum-shaped), glabrous. Stigma conical, spirally ridged. Fruit red to yellow, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.4-2 cm.

Dense forests, thickets, streamsides, steep slopes, hilltops, sandy soil, silt, rocky areas; 100-1200 m. C and SE Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan [Vietnam]

As noted by Hoogland (see above), the specimens from Hong Kong have an obtuse to rounded leaf apex, while those from other parts of China are more variable.

The stem is used medicinally.